Self-acting spinning-mule



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WRIGHT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-ACTING SPINNING-MULE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 24,690, dated July 5, 1859.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WRIGHT, of lVorcester, in the county of Torcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Acting Mules; and I do hereby declare that the f ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming parts of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of those parts of a mule which are necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in certain means of effecting the drawing in and running out of the carriage of a self operating mule, and the driving of the drawing rollers and of the quadrant form, from which motion is communicated to the spindles whereby the mule is much simplified in its construction and the movements of the above specified parts are rendered much more uniform and positive than when the said parts are driven by the system of chains, ropes, bands and racks commonly employed for the purpose, and the delay, trouble and cost of the repairs and readjustment of the said chains, ropes, bands and racks which are so frequently necessary are obviated.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the frame of the mule head, and B the carriage constructed substantially like those of the mules in common use and running on the track g, g.

F is a horizontal shaft arranged parallel with the track and having its journals fitted to bearings at or near the front and back of the frame A. This shaft has upon it three separate screw threads, viz: a long one d, and two shorter ones e, and f, the first and second having left hand threads, and the third a right hand thread. The longest screw thread is for driving the carriage B, back and forth and for this purpose it has tted to it a half nut or traveler L, which is secured to the carriage B. The screw thread is for driving the quadrant G, which is employed to drive the spindles by a strap or chain in the usual way, and which occupies the usual position, and for this purpose the said screw thread is geared with a worm wheel' Z, on the shaft I, which is arranged transversely to the frame A, in suitable bearings in the position commonly occupied by the quadrant driving shaft and which carries the usual pinion m, gearing with the quadrant. The screw thread f, is for driving the drawing rollers, and for this purpose the said screw thread is geared with a shaft H, which is arranged transversely to the frame A, in suitable fixed bearings in a suitable position to be geared with the drawing rollers. As the invention involves no change in the arrangement or application of the drawing rollers, I have not thought it necessary to represent them. As the drawing rollers are only required to operate while the carriage is running out, the said worm wheel z', is fitted loosely to its shaft H, but has attached to its sides one or more spring pawls 7c, 7c, which always press against a small ratchet wheel j, that is keyed to the shaft H, close to the worm wheel. lVhen the shaft F, turns in a direction to run the carriage in, the pawls L", la, slip over the teeth of the ratchet wheel j, and the shaft H remains stationary, but when the shaft F, is reversed the pawls engage in the teeth of the ratchet wheel and the shaft H is caused to revolve and drive the drawing rollers.

E is the main shaft occupying the position common to it in most mules, that is to say being arranged parallel with the track of the carriage in bearings on the top of the frame A, and carrying two pulleys C and D, of equal size the former of which is fast upon it and the latter loose. The pulley C, gives rotary motion through a train of gear.- ing n, 0, p, g, to the part b, of a double clutch on the shaft F, and the pulley D gives rotary motion through a train of gearing 1', s, t, to the part c, of the said double clutch. The two aforesaid parts b, and c, of the doublev clutch are fitted to the shaft F so as to be capable of turning thereon, but not moving longitudinally and they always rotate in opposite directions. The central portion a, of the said clutch is fitted to the said shaft with a feather so as to be prevented turning independently of the shaft, but is capable of being moved longitudinally that it may be brought into gear with each of the two revolving parts I) and c, in turn for driving the shaft F, in one and the other direction as it becomes necessary to change the motion of the carriage and the spindles.

By the employment of the shaft F, with its three screw threads for driving the carriage, the drawing rollers and the quadrant, I dispense with several shafts and with the entire scroll, the scroll boXes and all their appendages, and thus greatly simplify ythe mule; and besides this I obtain for all the parts of the mule a uniform motion, without the jerking action, which always in va greater or less degree attends the use of bands, and thus am enabled to produce a thread of more even quality and a more solid cop; and,'in addition t0 these advantages, the mule with this improvement can be verv easily repaired if it should get out of order, though that is but little liable to JOHN WRIGHT.

Vitnesses z JAMES VHITELEGGE, JOHN SWIFT. 

